


Heartsick

by punk_rock_yuppie



Series: I Will Help You Swim [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 16:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6202375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You took my insides and left me a little broken."--Caroline Hanson</i><br/>Lisa comforts Len as best she can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartsick

**Author's Note:**

> written for ladyorpheus on tumblr who requested _coldflash: heartsick_. decided to turn my previous fic (caught) into a three parter, with this being part two.
> 
> hope you like it!

“Lenny, this is ridiculous.” Lisa stands with her arms cross in front of her brother—her brother who is lounging on the couch for the third consecutive day this week. “You are such a drama queen.” Despite the bite to her words, there’s an underlying softness of concern. When Len doesn’t answer her, she carries on. “You realize we missed a huge shipment of diamonds to Central City Jewelers, right?” She taunts to no reaction. “There’s an art gallery opening this weekend, estimated value of—”

“Lisa, enough.” Len finally barks. His voice is scratchy and muffled and embarrassingly tender. “You want to do a job so bad? Grab Mick and go.”

Lisa’s arms don’t uncross and her glare doesn’t waver. “You know you’re the one who plans it all.”

“Don’t have to be.” Len finally looks at her with a look that says _I know how smart you are_.

All the same, Lisa rolls her eyes. “It’s not the same, Lenny.” Her stance drops as she sinks onto the couch beside her brother. “What’s gotten into you?” Throwing away pretenses Lisa lets her voice soften; this is practically unknown territory, emotional talks between them.

It started two weeks ago when Len called her to pick him up, and had gotten worse three days ago after another encounter with the Flash. Lisa, just as Len’s eyebrows implied, is far from stupid. She knows whatever is messing with her brother’s head is Barry Allen’s fault. She may be smart but she’s not psychic, and her and Lenny never got the hang of that ‘sibling-ESP’ so many people rave about. She knows Barry Allen is involved, but can’t say for sure _how_.

Len doesn’t move and doesn’t face her. He’s curled in blankets and his parka and hasn’t actually changed clothes since two nights ago. It’s kind of gross, but Lisa figures that’s low on the list of priorities at the moment.

“Talk to me, Lenny.” She whispers as she reaches out to tug the blankets away from his face. “Mick is worried too, you know.”

Len scoffs. “Mick—?”

“Mick _cares_ about you too, you dumbass. Yeah, okay, he mostly wants to go out and set shit on fire, but that doesn’t mean he’s not also worried about you.” Lisa snaps immediately. “Spill. Now.” Her tone shifts to sharp again but it doesn’t garner any visible reaction from Len.

The minutes pass, long enough for the sun to move across the sky and start to set, before Len speaks again. “It’s _Flash_.”

Lisa snorts. “Already figured that part out.”

Len rounds on her with a glare. “Why do you want to know? Give me some time, I’ll figure it out.”

Lisa isn’t impressed or deterred. “You’ve been sulking for three days. Before that, you were a distracted mess. Whatever Barry did, it’s obvious a big fucking deal.” She shoves at Len’s shoulder again. “So spill.”

Again, the silence stretches before Len caves again.

“He said he never wanted me to meet his parents—or, Detective West.” Len murmurs.

Were it any other time, Lisa would snap a picture of the blush on Len’s cheeks and plaster it anywhere she could. She resists, though. “Why would that ever come up in conversation?”

Len groans. “We’ve been fucking.”

That gets a startles noise out of Lisa, as well as a curiously arched eyebrow. “Oh really now?”

Len just nods and looks away from his sister, hiding his expression as best he can.

While Lisa had wanted to grin, smirk, tease him for sleeping with their nemesis of all people, it becomes clear this isn’t something to be taunted. “What happened?” She asks, tone gentle again.

“We were at his house.” Len groans again. “I feel like a high schooler, Lis, this is humiliating.”

“You brought it on yourself by _sulking_.” She reminds.

Len grumbles under his breath. “We were at his house, Detective West caught us…” Len trails off and Lisa only giggles a little bit. “And he requested I stay for dinner.”

Lisa cuts in before she can stop herself. “Woah, it’s—that’s more than just sleeping together.”

Len shakes his head. “It’s really not.” At a prompting look from Lisa, he continues. “Not saying I’d be… _opposed_ to more than just hooking up, but Barry made it perfectly clear that’s all he wanted.” Len’s mouth snaps shut with a click of his teeth and Lisa knows he isn’t going to say much more.

“So, let me get this straight.” Lisa recounts. “You and the Flash started sleeping together, somewhere along the way you realized you wanted to _date_ the Flash—which, by the way Lenny, jailbait much?” Lisa gives him a pointedly amused stare. “And you think he doesn’t want the same thing, so now you’re sulking.”

Len’s lack of an answer is answer enough.

Despite the innate urge to tease, Lisa leans close and wraps her brother in a hug. “Oh, Lenny.” She whispers against his cheek. He reaches up a hand and gives her a half-hearted hug in return. “It’ll be okay.”


End file.
